Evelyn Pease Tyner Interpretive Center Achieves LEED-NC Platinum with the help of BioBased Insulation

The Evelyn Pease Tyner Interpretive Center announced its grand opening on April 14,
2007. Located in Glenview, IL the center is the first new construction LEED Platinum
building in Illinois. The center is to provide information and educate visitors of the
pristine 32.5 acres of prairie land it is placed upon. The Tyner Center is an excellent
example of how a man made structure can harmonize with the natural environment. It is
named after Dr. Evelyn Tyner a longtime Glenview resident, former Physical Sciences
faculty member at Harold Washington College and volunteer. She has spent many years
working to protect and enhance our natural resources.

Placed on Air Station Prairie, a 32-acre site, the center serves as a gateway to the
collection of rare, native prairie vegetation which can be accessed by walking paths.
There are informational panels along the outside of the building a top the wetland deck as
well as a sidewalk time line and history wall. This eliminates the need to go indoors in
order to learn of the vast amount of prairie life the paths extend to.

The Tyner center was envisioned to be green from the beginning of construction. They
have both vegetated and solar panels used on the roof and a geothermal heating and
cooling system. To partner with these energy saving building technologies, they used
BioBased Insulation. By using green building practices the Tyner Center was capable of
qualifying for the highest LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)
certification.

BioBased Insulation’s soy-based water-blown spray foam insulation helps control the
humidity and eliminates random outside air infiltration, because of its ability to expand
and form a barrier from the outdoor elements. BioBased Insulation is also able to reach
all the crevices and cracks that traditional insulation would not be capable of touching.
All together, the project earned 53 LEED credits! They consist of 9 site credits, 4 water
efficiency, 16 energy and atmosphere, 7 materials and resources, 12 indoor
environmental quality and 5 innovation and design credits. This is the fourth LEED
Platinum building in Illinois, the first one outside Chicago limits and the first new
building in Illinois to receive this designation.

Learn more about Biobased Insulation.